


Forgive and (Don't) [F]orget

by hakumei_hogosha



Series: Drabble Compilation [1]
Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Debatable Happy Ending, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempts, Post-Canon, Referenced Torture, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-27 19:03:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10040333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hakumei_hogosha/pseuds/hakumei_hogosha
Summary: Sins and mistakes are eternal.Drabble F





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Slaine has been put on a mission with Inaho to assist in infiltrating an Earthbound Count as peace negotiations have failed and force seems to be their only option. However, plans don’t always work out._

The objective was clear and simple. The task at hand was estimated to take at most a month.

Slaine had been pulled out of prison and employed as an informant, an assistant of sorts to his former enemy.

Inform. Assist.

Nothing more, nothing else.

There was nothing more to this arrangement. Leaving the prison for simply a month changed nothing. This was not an excursion or facade of a vacation from his prison sentence. An act of kindness by Kaizuka Inaho was too forgone a thought. Kindness was a weapon, a tool, a means to an end and surely there was a catch. There was always a catch.

There was no miracles. There was no need for a future for everything out of reach for whatever reason Her Highness had in mind for him – redemption, resolve, redo – were impossible.

Need or want was no longer something he could decide but…

“Damn they’ve got us surrounded!” Inaho’s sister griped and took cover at the corner.

A younger girl… Slaine believed named Inko? pulled out a grenade as Inaho and Slaine watched their backs.

How they specifically got into this escaped Slaine’s memory but it didn’t matter. They were forced into a corner and although Slaine was well aware of the landing castle’s floor plan, it was moot to try to navigate otherwise.

“This was a trap from the start,” Inaho commented with a monotonous voice.

“Great timing Kaizuka…” Slaine muttered under his breath and rolled his eyes.

Inaho definitely heard him seeing the recently reinstalled analytical engine zoom in his direction. “You are in agreement, Bat and are well aware we are heading to a dead end.”

Slaine frowned. He wanted to ask why again the idiot orange brought him along if he could already navigate this…

“Enemy forces closing in from 6 o’clock. Engaging,” Inaho curtly informed and headed forward.

He shot a nearby pipe on the opposite end of the corridor and triggered a smoke screen.

_ That tactic again… _ Slaine observed before providing cover fire… at first.

A flicker of burgundy. Slaine left his position and bolted forward.

“KAIZUKA!” Slaine had yelled, tackling Inaho.

Inaho grunted upon falling to the ground with Slaine on top of him but it didn’t matter to Slaine. Slaine immediately turned to face the count, pistol ready for the kill.

His turquoise eyes widened. The count’s violet eyes showed no hesitation; only excitement dwelled from within. The excitement was not unfounded; it came from a silent and calculated triumph. 

Her left hand glowed gold and she happily reached for his forehead, covering his eyes.

Slaine pulled the trigger. Point-blank head shot. Yet he heard neither the trigger nor gunshot.

All he heard in a whisper, a tone of voice at brimming with joy and barely keeping in check from having an outburst of glee.

“Got you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N(draft specific):** The details are rather limited… intentionally… I’m depicting post-canon Slaine as someone not as sharp as before due to rotting in prison for at least two years and so the specific details aren’t necessarily something he is willing to put much forethought/meaning on. ‘Expendable,’ ‘compliance’ and ‘usefulness’ are the main parameters in this mindset I’m going for.


	2. Chapter 2

_ Slaine Saazbaum Troyard is not to be underestimated, Vice Admiral Hakkinen had reminded Inaho before being deployed. _

And it was a reminder he did not need. Inaho formed fists on his knees. He currently sat at Slaine’s bedside in the infirmary of the Deucalion, a feat thanks to his former nemesis. Even after being knocked unconscious, Troyard had prepared for their escape if for some reason he could not pilot the Sky Carrier they had used to sneak onto the Landing Castle.

“…U…gh…” Slaine started to stir.

_ He’s waking up, _ Inaho observed and sat up. Doctor Yagarai had left his desk and walked over.

“Troyard..?“ Inaho asked.

Troyard’s eyes fluttered open and slowly, Troyard’s eyes surveyed the area. Something was wrong. His behavior was off.

Inaho asked again, “Troyard?”

“W-who are you?!” Slaine jumped back as far as his cuff on his left hand would allow. He seemed more alert now to the clank and again glared at Inaho. The glare was different though, even Inaho could see that.

Doctor Yagarai stepped between them and had gotten a light, looking at Slaine’s eyes while asking, “Excuse me but… what is the year?“

Troyard blinked and seemed to momentarily relax, “… 2014..?”

Inaho remained silent at this realization when Doctor Yagarai turned to him.

***

Stepping away from Troyard, Dr. Yagarai rejoined Inaho who had been called aside by the Captain and Marito for a report.

“What’s his status?“ Magbaredge asked.

“It seems like Troyard’s memory has been selectively wiped…” Yagarai inferred. “This clan was known for psychology and neuroscience, correct Kaizuka?”

Before Inaho could add, the intercom called for the captain to report the bridge but it was clear why.

The Countess had tapped into all communications and made an announcement.

_... _

“We have a security breach in our network,“ Marito grumbled. It was initially clear that they had fallen into a trap but the trap was far more intricate. Someone had planted the need for force on this particular earthbound orbital knight. More accurately, it was an objective only this clan could achieve.

“Their objective was never to remain stationary here, rather it was civil unrest,” Inaho concluded.

“My fellow kin, of Earth and Vers. Allow me a moment of your time. I come to you today with the truth our two governments seek to hide…“

***

“The Countess’s ability appears to be memory manipulation. She did not erase memories, rather she seems to have taken it somehow,” Inko assessed.

“What makes you believe what she said is true? How can we confirm that information is only things Troyard would have known?“ Marito countered.

“Besides myself, only Troyard would know what had occurred in Russia with Seylum,” Inaho reasoned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Reflect and look back; remember your oath._

Slaine withdrew his hands from on top of the covers. The doctor was paying unnaturally excessive attention... or perhaps that's how much an actual doctor tends to their patient?

Nervously, Slaine looked upward to the door. Two guards glared and stood in attention, armed and were not at all being conspicuous at hiding their weapons. They were purposely showing their hostility and capability. By their actions, they were warning him not to do anything rash.

He bit his lower lip and dug his nails as he gripped tightly on his pants. He couldn't stop trembling. Earlier, Slaine had tried to grasp at his Father's amulet. Tears welled in his eyes just as what seemed like a cold tendril dug deep into his soul. _Something_ about his current situation made sense even if his mind told him otherwise.

He was in the wrong. He had done something so grievously wrong that the desire, the inconsolable need to vanish and rid himself ebbed at him.

That was an impossible task. The doctor and the guards were keenly aware of this bizarre need.

_Have I done this before?_ Slaine thought to himself and tried to recollect. He groaned and reached for his head.

A shock of immense pain surged throughout his nerves. The doctor approached upon seeing it, "Don't push yourself. I am still trying to determine the extent of the memory impairment."

Slaine remained silent and distracted himself, preventing himself from continuing that train of thought. All that was left to him was inference -- _yes, he must have done so._.. Again Slaine clung to the amulet. The last distinctive memory he had and can so easily recollect was handing this to the princess. However it must have been some time since. It now laid in his hands and the feeling of nostalgia no longer resided with the silver chain; something different did -- guilt, remorse, despair.

He couldn't determine why or where such feelings came from. Without a doubt though, he knew in his heart that they were warranted.

_Even here... It's not different--_ Slaine thought bitterly but once again was halted in his thoughts.

The guards had saluted and stepped aside when a man about his age walked in. Promptly upon entering the infirmary, the guards resumed their posts and only with his one remaining eye momentarily looked at Slaine. Impulsively, Slaine couldn't help but look away in annoyance. For a moment it stunned Slaine yet the surprise subsided.

_A habit?_ Slaine pondered and glanced every so often at the new arrival. The maelstrom of emotions roared within. He really did not like this person for one reason or another.

"How is he?" The brunet asked the doctor.

"Every time he attempts to recollect, he experiences pain."

"In other words... the memories aren't gone; they are suppressed," he mumbled before walking over to Slaine.

"Troyard. Before we left for the mission, I had asked you to arrange a means to address this outcome," he said.

Slaine narrowed his eyes. _I highly doubt you asked..._ Slaine begged to differ and cautiously looked at what the young man offered from his coat pocket -- a single envelope.

Hesitantly, Slaine took the envelope and turned it over. His initials were written on the flap; it was definitely his handwriting.

The brunet had crossed his arms, expression unchanged and elaborated as Slaine opened the envelope, "I had proposed you made a recording but you would not budge on this."

"Electronic recordings can be tampered with..."

"And a letter can be easily lost..."

_I definitely cannot see eye to eye with this person,_ Slaine concluded and sighed, unraveling the legal paper.

The letter was his best option considering the circumstances. The only person he could really trust was himself and if the letter was tampered with, then he could see right away with the handwriting.

Slaine grimaced upon reading the letter and without looking away from the letter, dared ask, "You didn't read this, did you?"

The brunet sighed. "I assure you your right of confidentiality for that letter was maintained. It has been in my safekeeping and as you must have seen, the envelope's seal had not been removed since."

"... I see."

As he expected, he had been to the point:

"We can never truly forget. Reflect and look back; remember your oath.

And lastly, you should have received this from a disagreeable individual named Kaizuka Inaho. He is not to be trusted. He is your enemy."

"Reflect... and look back..." Slaine mumbled aloud. Thankfully the man now identified as Kaizuka remained silent. He must suspect Slaine left a message for himself to decode.

In a way he was right. When he wrote this, it was evidently as a precaution for memory loss so utilization of words 'reflect' seemed odd for someone that would have forgotten. Reflect in this case was different.

Slaine caught sight of a mirror in the darkness. It was in the restroom which the door was oddly left open. 'Reflect' as in reflection...

His body barely cooperated as he struggled out of bed. The feeling before that hinted to him every so often the gravitas of what he had done leading the justification for the glares, scorns and spite all around, now pulled back at him. If possible, the very feeling made his movement cumbersome as if an unbearable weight burdened him and prevented him from moving forward.

The guards had left their post but Kaizuka had signaled for them to stand down and the doctor warily maintained his current location as Slaine wobbled his way into the restroom. His eyes maintained focus on the mirror.

'Reflect.' 'Look back.'

He could feel a chill down his spine and he embraced himself, shuddering in place. He wasn't cold because of the room. It was fear. Fear not of death as he had long accepted its swift occurrence anytime under Count Cruhteo's care. This fear was different.

_I don't want to look back,_ Slaine caught himself thinking when grasping tightly the gown.

The person reflecting before him was one he barely recognized. He had grown thinner both in mass and muscle. He could tell he had not moved as much as he had before while at the Landing Castle. Had he been in solitary confinement all this time?

_No. I have not,_ Slaine thought otherwise. Through the reflection, he could see Kaizuka maintain his observation of him. His sworn enemy kept him on his toes.

'Remember your oath.'

He returned his gaze back to the mirror and fumbled with the cloth. He could see he was definitely off. His expression was blank and uncertain. From the implication of his suppressed memories, Slaine could piece together this was an expression his enemy found concerning. He wouldn't be so attentive now, more so than the past.

Slaine braced for the worst and reached again for his forehead. The spark of pain momentarily rushed through. He had accidentally tried to remember something more recent.

_Oath..._ Slaine rhetorically thought to himself.

He had sworn to serve and protect Princess Asseylum but... that didn't feel like that was what the letter referred to.

His gaze had wandered away from the mirror for a moment. It returned brusquely when something caught his eye. Something old. Something that could never heal.

His hand trembled when he went to remove his shirt. Everything went white and a scream ruptured from his very throat yet that too escaped his senses.

_This--_

A voice echoed and reverberated in his mind. Sounds of electricity and the all too familiar cane and whip resounded so closely to his ears.

_This time--_

He fell to his knees as the pain came rushing forward, unrelenting.

_I'll protect you._

Just like this then, he will bear it. He swore.

_I won't let those who hope to exploit you--_

After all, it was because of her he was alive. Even now.

_\--Have their way be they Martian or Terran._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** I apologize ahead of time for the future spam on my part as I have another work to update. This drabble is shaping to be alot longer than I thought. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and continued support :)


	4. Chapter 4

Cradled within the KG-7 Areion’s palm, Inaho prepared his Glock while every so often peering at Slaine. Slaine gazed through the gap between the KG-7 Areion’s fingers towards the approaching landing castle.

“Approaching! Get ready you two!” Yuki informed loud and clear through their communication gear.

“Do you have something to say Kaizuka Inaho?” Slaine questioned.

Inaho paused and inspected Slaine’s demeanor. Ever since Slaine received the letter, Inaho could tell Slaine was resembling more of his old self but it was still not the same as before. The well-seated hate Slaine had bore against him was not present. It was a hate fresh as if the cause had recently occurred.

 _Where did he get the scars?_ Inaho thought but shook it off. This wasn’t the time. The countess had assembled a full offense and left the landing castle suspiciously light in security within. It was Slaine and his objective to compromise the countess, who suspiciously did not man a kataphrakt on the battlefield.

“I can still do what we’ve been sent to do without issue.” Slaine supplied. He must have thought Inaho was reevaluating their approach for their current operation.

“How is the pain?”

“Nonexistent.”

 _That is a lie_. Inaho surmised considering how much Slaine was squinting, most likely wincing from the pain.

They had arrived the designated point where Yuki rapidly fired at the nearby wall and approached.

Inaho followed. _Let’s end this quickly then._

At the created opening, she offered the palm where immediately Slaine got off and entered the landing castle. There, Slaine stood still when hearing an announcement.

“Self destruction in 4 minutes 30 seconds. Please evacuate the premise. I repeat…”

“How close is the nearest residential area?” Slaine asked.

“57 miles.” Inaho answered.

Slaine approached the intersection, gazing down each corridor before breaking into a sprint. “Kaizuka! This way. To the core.”

...

The intel still held true for how there was barely any personnel on board. They reached the core without meeting anyone or any obstacle. In the room, Slaine manned the control panel. Inaho went to assist but was stopped by Slaine. “I still know the mainframe. Watch my back.”

Inaho used his Analytical Engine to run a diagnostic but his head throbbed. _A jamming sequence?_ He recognized from his scan for interferences. They definitely had a security leak as the sequence was on point to prevent Inaho from hacking.

“I leave it to you.” Inaho conceded and faced the entrance to the room.

Moments passed. What seemed like eternity came to an end as the sounds from Slaine’s handiwork on the control panel suddenly stopped.

“Kaizuka.” Slaine beckoned.

Inaho looked away from the entrance to the room and back at Slaine. His eyes widened when seeing the blinking notifications on the control panel.

“Troyard...” Inaho lowered his weapon. The countdown had not stopped at all despite Slaine’s efforts.

Slaine had turned to face him and hopelessly smiled. “It’s been rigged to self-destruct regardless of what I do. I managed to seal the imminent explosion to the vicinity of the core so you should-”

His former enemy was in awe. Inaho had grasped his right forearm. _Not this time._  Inaho thought to himself. He squeezed his hold yet the surprise was only replaced with appreciation.

Slaine grasped Inaho’s hand only to remove it from his arm but grasped in both of his hands. “Not this time Kaizuka. The containment has to be manually performed… I suspect the Countess foreseen this. It only makes sense for me to-”

“I promised her.” Inaho interrupted. “I promised myself I wouldn’t abandon you again.”

“Again..? Now?” Slaine choked and grasped his fringe with one of his hands. “I appreciate the sentiment but time is not on our side.”

“I’m not leaving you.” Inaho reiterated.

The two stared before Slaine shook his head, averting his gaze to the keyboard. “Sorry.” He apologized and spun kick Inaho out of the room.

Inaho landed against the corridor wall and slid to the ground. He forced himself back on his feet to try to open the door but it was all too late. A bright light emitted from inside and engulfed the room. The door rim buckled before forcing Inaho again back on the wall.

…

Inaho coughed and held his head with his free hand. It throbbed alongside his ringing eardrum. Even with the barely clearing debris and smoke, Inaho could discern Slaine was true to his word in keeping the explosion within the room. Standing up and approaching the doorway, Inaho could see gaping hole in front of him and above him, the hole continued up to where the night sky was visible. However the magnitude of the explosion was not what caught his attention. Inaho’s brow furrowed. Past the gaping hole, the Landing Castle Aldnoah Core remained intact and operational.

 _The detonation was not for the core._ Inaho realized.

He cautiously approached the hole and climbed down where he heard the countess speak with a trembling voice. “You pompous fool… even now you…”

Inaho peered in the direction of her voice. Her high-heel shoes echoed with each footstep and with the smoke clearing, Inaho found the countess and the intruder from before on the other side of the room. As she entered Inaho’s line of sight, golden particles of light rose from the countess. It continued until she halted and knelt to the ground where she cradled an unconscious Slaine.

“Lemrina vers Envers,” Inaho recognized from his old records.

The elaborate, intricate illusion had dispensed in golden particles of light and the countess’s facial features likened more to Asseylum’s half-sister, a woman of blue eyes and primrose hair. She still wore the uniform of an Orbital Knight but did not hold herself in the same regard as she was in disguise.

Her eyes conveyed longing that Inaho knew well, too well for his own good. In her eyes, she finally obtained what she had been after for what she would say an eternity. In her arms was the man she had sworn to bind her future with even in her half sister’s appearance and the one she had been led to believe had died years before.There was neither a countess nor a princess, only a hopeless lover seeking her beloved much like he had done before.

Lemrina’s eyes teared but as quickly as they had formed, she wiped them away when peering at Inaho. She was definitely the countess from before. Lemrina appeared vulnerable with the exoskeleton helping her legs yet she was far from weak. Her smile beamed with arrogance and victory.

“Kaizuka Inaho. It’s a pleasure to meet my fiance’s captor and keeper. I thank you for keeping him safe on my sister’s behalf.” Her smile strengthened as her confidence rose; her aide arrived to her side and directed his energy rifle at Inaho. “But your job here is done.”

“You faked your death.” Inaho saw the aide remove his helm. “Deaths,” Inaho corrected.

Her aide was no other than Slaine’s right hand man from the war, Harklight who promptly had taken Slaine into his arms and picked him up. Harklight completely disregarded Inaho; he was no longer deemed a threat. Everything was a ploy.

“We learned from the best.” Lemrina mocked as she stood up. “Now then if you excuse us-”

“Where do you intend to take a criminal of two worlds?”

Lemrina blinked. She was mildly astonished; the surprise was quickly replaced with amusement. “I suppose I can entertain you. We have made arrangements. He will be safe with us and we have no interest in participating in the conflict-”

“Leaving Slaine Troyard in the companionship of the other bearer of the Activation Factor and his cohort during the Second Interplanetary war-”

“The cameras are down. Your hidden analytical eye is suffering feedback and jamming signals. We only have our words as our armaments, Kaizuka Inaho. Consider your last duty to my sister complete. You have saved Slaine Troyard... you are now free.” She chuckled as the three turned to the hatch.

“Do you think erasing her from his memories would lead him to reciprocate your feelings?” Inaho dared.

Lemrina smirked as Harklight turned to the hatch with Slaine.

Inaho continued. “You are no better than Seylum.”

“Heh...” Her former confidence had whisked away under her downcast eyes. “Are you in any better position?” She gazed at Inaho, her eyes belittling him. “I am aware of how you feel for my half sister. She has given herself to another man for the sake of her people. You have lost her Kaizuka… and I… I thought the same. I thought I had lost him forever but I knew my sister. I knew her kindness.”

“I could have-”

She shook her head. Her smile renewed; she was certain of her victory. “We know otherwise, Kaizuka -- you and me both. We will do anything and everything in our power for those we love, even if it means bending the rules. But I digress. We will be in touch but for now Kaizuka - checkmate.”

He dashed behind them although knowing the act was useless. The hatch closed by the time he reached it and the ceiling had caved in with the Landing Castle core self-destructing.

Lemrina had orchestrated the perfect foil against the joint efforts of the UFE and Vers Empire.


	5. Epilogue

Inaho waved farewell to his sister who promptly closed the door into his hospital room. With the clasp of the door, he sighed and leaned into the pillow resting behind his back. He had hoped not to return to the hospital so soon; rather, he had hoped to have gotten the analytical engine during his earlier stay six months prior, after operation against the Earthbound countess… on record.

_ Lemrina vers Envers. _ Inaho corrected.

The impostor princess had outwit him. Every move was calculated. She had predicted how both Slaine and he would have reacted in kind. The real countess had been murdered by Lemrina’s hand and with her skill in disguise and espionage, took over seamlessly without anyone suspecting a replacement. And the addition of Harklight, further rallied the particular landing castle to her camouflage of a cause -- to bring the truth to the surface of both government’s role in the conflict. All of which was a ruse; her real end goal was more personal, selfish.

_ We have made arrangements.  _ Inaho recollected her say when looking out the window. 

There was no trace of the three. The destruction of the landing castle in its entirety had established the perfect cover up. Having been in the center of the aforementioned explosion and being the supposed witness of Slaine’s death, Slaine was considered dead officially  _ and _ unofficially. The confirmation of the countess’s death was also well prepared. Her corpse was found and in the necessary condition to not raise the potential suspicion she had survived the explosion. 

_ She never did answer where they’d take a criminal of two worlds… _ He blinked when hearing knocking at the door. “Come in.” He clarified seeing how the door did not open right after.

“Pardon my intrusion,” the person that had knocked, excused himself.

Inaho held his breath when the person walked into the room, closing the door behind him. Approaching Inaho’s bedside, the person took Yuki’s chair and rested a particular small wooden suitcase on his lap. The person politely smiled.

“I apologize for coming unannounced. My wife’s doctor had insisted this arrangement.” He explained.

“Slaine… Troyard…” Inaho whispered, at a loss of what else to say.

Slaine Troyard was there in the flesh and sitting next to Inaho’s bedside. He had struggled to speak, to verbalize and confirm what he saw was no hallucination but even after doing so, he was still at a loss. He was certain it was the man he had sworn to save yet at the same time, it was not. Slaine’s physiological was as he recollected, if not better than before. He was neither thin nor as pale as he had seen him last. It was his demeanor and how he carried himself that differed. Slaine did not shrink within himself. His expressions carried no ill will or suspicion. Most of all, Slaine was smiling at him.

Slaine tilted his head while resting his hands on the wooden case. His smile had not lessened. “Pardon?”

Inaho shook his head. “It’s nothing. Your wife also sees Dr. Yagarai?”

He nodded. “Yes. She is seeing him for physical therapy and during one of her visits, Dr. Yagarai had mentioned to her that one of his patients has been under the weather.”

_ In other words, she wanted to inform that all is well… _ “I assure you I am in ideal condition to undergo my scheduled…” Inaho’s words trailed off. 

Slaine had opened the wooden suitcase, which revealed to contain a chessboard and chess pieces. “Dr. Yagarai had told me that is the case. I am simply here at my wife’s insistence to give you a run for your money.”

“Run for my money?” 

“Yes. I heard you also play.”

Inaho couldn’t help smile seeing Slaine assemble the chess pieces. “Black or white, S…?”

Slaine looked to Inaho confused. “Black… oh.” He blushed as Inaho made the first move. “Sorry… I forgot to introduce myself - Lan, Lan Envers.” 

_ She definitely.. _ Inaho covered his mouth to hide his small surprise. Slaine’s first move mirrored the first game they played together.  _ Was Slaine playing seriously? _ Inaho pondered but shook the thought away much like the perplexed amnesiac across the chessboard.

He would never know; Lan Envers may physically appear as Slaine Troyard but he was no longer the same man. Taking the brunt of the blast filled with the memory manipulation Aldnoah particles, Slaine’s mind was wiped clean of everything he once knew. And as the game played, it became more and more clear how that was the case with how far Lan was from the Slaine Inaho came to know in the prison. Most of which Inaho quickly assumed was Lemrina’s handiwork; her actions were warranted. Inaho could understand; he wanted to do something similar once upon a time in order to keep those dear safe even at the expense of his life through the analytical engine. She had taken Asseylum’s place as Slaine’s supposed savior from drowning that nearly costed his life, and the necklace Slaine still wore without fail was a gift from his wife, who said it was a protective charm to keep him safe - quite literally when seeing Slaine's reflection on the window be of a different appearance. Lemrina had modified the necklace to keep Slaine perpetually in a disguise to anyone that saw him. It was certain her twisted handiwork to make Inaho the exception to this foil.

“You really love your wife,” Inaho commented. He was taking longer this turn for Slaine had successfully put him in check. His king was in danger.

“What do you mean?” Slaine uncertain of what Inaho meant.

“You have doted on her quite often.”

“Yes..?”

“Am I wrong?” 

“No. Not at all… it’s just an obvious thing to say, Kaizuka-san.” Slaine confessed and moved a piece rather quickly, alarming Inaho. “After all, if it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Another person had come to the door and knocked but this time, the door immediately opened afterward. 

“I apologize for the interruption. I didn’t think you’d have a visitor, Kaizuka-kun. It’s nice to see you again, Lan,” Doctor Yagarai greeted. 

Lan shook his head and stood up. He promptly moved the chessboard and the pieces, delicately to Inaho’s nightstand. “Not at all. I presume you’re finished, Hime?”

“Lan…” Lemrina frowned as Slaine knelt to her wheelchair. She crossed her arms and was pouting with a puffed cheek. 

“Sorry. Sorry. Rina forgive me.” Slaine teased and kissed her forehead before standing up.

“Did you beat Kaizuka Inaho as I had hoped?” Lemrina inquired with a mischievous smile.

“Afraid I have not… yet. Three moves, check Kaizuka-san.” Slaine informed before taking the handles to Lemrina’s wheelchair.

Inaho studied the board. Slaine was true to his word. “Are you surrendering?”

Slaine smirked. “No. So the outcome of our game will have to wait until after your surgery.”

“Technically-”

“Are you afraid of what the future holds?” Slaine asked.

Inaho smiled and saw the couple take their leave. “Next time then.”

Slaine had been saved.

**_-Fin_ **


End file.
